Cass Fox drew early inspiration from Dolly Parton, Annie Lennox, and Tracy Chapman. The North London native, born in 1982 as the sole daughter of a large Irish working-class household, first gained notice through her raw soulful delivery on Rui Da Silva’s chart-topping dance anthem “Touch Me.” She sang in talent contests throughout childhood yet held assorted positions—servicing fruit machines and working as a nursery nurse—before committing to music. Portuguese producer Rui Da Silva discovered her busking in London’s West End and invited her into his studio, where she supplied lyrics to one of his deep-house demos that incorporated a sample from Spandau Ballet’s “Chant No. 1.” Released as “Touch Me,” the track became 2001’s first number-one single and eventually sold 300,000 copies. Despite that breakthrough, Fox rejected a continued dance trajectory and ended her association with Da Silva. Subsequent sessions with Craig Dodds, known for his work with Sugababes, and Faithless’ Rollo Armstrong preceded plans for an acoustic folk-pop debut album titled Come Here, slated for 2005. Legal disputes over her name forced cancellation at the eleventh hour. A support slot on Tom Baxter’s U.K. tour and a featured turn on Faithless’ Top 40 single “Music Matters” paved the way for the album’s eventual release in 2006.
